Tarkan

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For other uses, see Tarkan (disambiguation).

**Tarkan Tevetoğlu**

Born:	October 17, 1972 Alzey, Germany
Occupation:	Singer-songwriter
Website:	Tarkan.com

Tarkan Tevetoğlu popularly known as Tarkan, is one of the most successful pop music singers in Turkey. He has released several platinum-selling albums during his career, with an estimated 15 million albums sold^[1]. He is often cited as the Turkish Prince of Pop^[2].

He is also known in Europe and the Americas, especially for the song "Şımarık" (Spoilt/Kiss Kiss/Chanson Du Bisou/Besos). This was reincarnated as "Kiss Kiss" by Holly Valance after Sezen Aksu sold the music rights. This song is also rumoured to have ended the successful working relationship between Tarkan and Aksu as they fell into dispute about the ownership of the copyright to "Şımarık". They had collaborated on most of Tarkan's hits in Turkey and Europe. Another hit single was "Şıkıdım" (Shake)^[3].

Istanbul Plak was Tarkan's first record label, his record label is now his own music company HITT Music, which he established in 1997.

Tarkan is also a character in a popular 1960s Turkish comic series, which is where Tarkan got his name^[4]. The origins of the name Tarkan is derived from an ancient Turkic king^[5].

1 Early life
2 Career
3 Discography: Notable Works
4 See also
5 References
6 Notes
7 External links

[edit] Early life

Tarkan spent his childhood in Alzey, Germany. His father was part of the generation of Turkish immigrants which came to West Germany during the West German economic boom, until he suddenly decided to move his family back to Turkey in 1986 when Tarkan was 13 years old.

[edit] Career

Tarkan press photo 2004

Tarkan began to study music in Karamürsel. His road to fame began when his family moved to Istanbul in 1988, and he began to prepare for University entrance exams in 1990. He had a difficult time in Istanbul and decided to move back to Germany. It was while he was preparing for the move back that he met Mehmet Söğütoğlu, the chairman of record company Istanbul Plak. Produced by Söğütoğlu his debut album Yine Sensiz (Without You Again) sold 750 thousand copies. His second album A-Acayipsin (Oh - You're Something Else) sold more than two million copies in Turkey and 750 thousand copies in Europe. This was a first-time-ever feat for a Turkish performer.

Suddenly Tarkan had became a star overnight. Tarkan subsequently moved to New York in 1994 to escape the hordes of adoring fans that constantly stalked him and to complete his education at a college in the USA. While Tarkan spent time in the USA learning English, he met Ahmet Ertegün (the Turkish founder of Atlantic Records). Ertegün has been quietly grooming Tarkan for an American career ever since, but Tarkan has re-started the album several times^[6].

[edit] 1997-1999

Tarkan pictured during the Ölürüm Sana period

In July 1997, the hit song "Şımarık" was released in Turkey from the album Ölürüm Sana (I'd Die For You). This album took a total of three years to complete. Tarkan collaborated with Sezen Aksu and Ozan Çolakoglu for the album. He thanked them for this during his speech which he delivered after winning the Turkish TV Kral music award for his song "Şımarık".

In Turkey, Ölürüm Sana sold 4.5 million copies alone. When the album's single "Şımarık" was released in 1999 in Europe, it reached number three in places like Switzerland^[7], the Netherlands^[8], France, and Germany, and it reached number one in Belgium.

He was awarded with his gold disc at the Cannes Midem Awards. Following that he released a compliation album for Europe entitled Tarkan. He won a World Music Award in Monaco in the same year for the sales of that album. Tarkan released two more singles in Europe under the Universal ticket, "Şıkıdım" and "Bu Gece" ("Tonight").

Tarkan traveled to Europe and Latin America to promote his music. He gave many international concerts during this period, eighteen concerts in seventeen cities in total.

[edit] 2000-2006

Tarkan press photo for the release of his 2001 Kuzu Kuzu single

In 2000, the self-titled album was released in the USA with a Universal Latino ticket. Sales went platinum in Latin America.

In 2001, Tarkan released his album Karma and two first-ever singles in Turkey called "Kuzu Kuzu" ("Like A Lamb") and "Hüp" ("Whoop").

His EP/hybrid album Dudu (Woman) was released in the summer of 2003 under his own label HITT Music for the first time. It was the first album of its kind to sell over a million copies.

Both in Karma and Dudu he has worked with singer-songwriter Nazan Öncel, whose own Yan Yana Fotoğraf Çektirelim album was published under the HITT Productions label.

He has been the face of Pepsi in Turkey and was the official mascot of the Turkish national football team for the 2002 World Cup, recording the football song "Bir Oluruz Yolunda" ("United For You"), which became an anthem for the fans.

He also released his own perfume range entitled "Tarkan" at the start of 2004.

In October 2005, he released his long awaited English language debut single "Bounce" in Turkey.

His debut English language album Come Closer was released in parts of Europe on April 7, 2006, under a Universal Music label.

[edit] Setbacks

Tarkan in Vienna with Hungarian fans; 23 June, 2006.

Tarkan had some setbacks during his career. In 1994, Tarkan appeared on a live broadcast for a private Turkish TV channel ATV's anniversary celebrations and was interviewed by a reporter. His response when asked how he was, captured live on camera, was "Çişim var, ağabey..." ('I've gotta pee, man...').

At the height of his fame, Tarkan was called up for military service, which he had suspended for a certain length of time while he studied in New York. The deadline for commencement ended in 1998, but due to contractual obligations, he did not return to Turkey to do his military service. The media discussed whether Tarkan should be viewed as a deserter and stripped of his citizenship, but this never happened. After the August 1999 earthquake that shook Turkey, the 28-day military service was passed, which allowed for a very short term of service provided that those covered by the law paid $16,000 for the benefit of the earthquake victims. Tarkan returned to Turkey in 2000 and took advantage of this law, completing his service in twenty-eight days.

In 2005, a Turkish music pirate leaked four stolen demo recordings from his debut English album, Come Closer, onto the internet^[9]. Thousands of copies were downloaded illegally before the album's official release.